Identifying the age of a photograph

[Toni Cairns]

Is there some kind person that would be able to identify a year or abouts  this attached photograph was taken.
The photograph is of two elderly men, who look like the have won something, on the table between them is a Trophy/Clock & medals.  Maybe the clock could give clues ?
Help would be most appreciated.
Regards
Toni

[PrueM]

Hi Toni!
Welcome to Rootschat!!
What a great photo - I guess you don't know who the blokes are, which is why you're after a date...hopefully we can work that out.
First off:  have you got the photo yourself, or do you have a digital version that shows the card that it's stuck to?  It would really help to see the whole thing, and to knwo if there's anything written on the front or the back.
If you could post another scan, showing the whole photo and card, and a pretty good rendition of the colours, that would be fabulous.
Looking forward to this one! 

Cheers
Prue

[Taidquest]

hi,i know this might be totally off the wall
but does anyone think these two gents
are pigeon fanciers.the small cage above
their heads plus the clock which could be an early
version of the one used to record the time
pigeons return to their home lofts.
if i am right about the clock would that be a way
 of dating the photo?maybe by someone
who would know when that type of clock was used
for this sport.
i think i might end up red faced about this guess.
                                                      anne

[trystan]

I'm no clock expert by any means, but I'd say it's a "Broquet Brocot Movement" clock of around the 1880-90-ish. This is a French design of movement (although it was included in English designs too), and the clock housing may have been slate.

Basically the Broquet Brocot Movement is where the escapement, that's a small cog with an "anchor" (the thing with "pallets" that rock to-and-fro into the cog in time with the pendulum) is visible from the front of the clock.

If you look closely you can see the inner ring of the clock, and some detail under the 12 o'clock position. That I would say is the Broquet Brocot movement.

Again, as I said I'm no clock expert, we just happen to have a dear clock of the same movement!

Trystan

PS I think I've spelt "Broquet" wrong - I'll check one of my books. I've just checked and ammended it to "Brocot"!

[dennford]

I agree about the clock but I think the cage could be small - trophies were won for canary breeding, particularly in coal mining areas where they were used in the mines.
In addition to Prues request , is it possible to post a larger version?
                                                 Denn

[trystan]

Or is it pssible to scan just the face of the clock?

[trystan]

Sorry, It's spelt "Brocot Movement" - I'll modify the original message I made too.

I've just had another thought too. Let's say the clock is made in 1885 as it's a Brocot Escapement. One would not know how old the clock is. However from experience, this type of movement is very sensitive to knocks ans has to be place on a very solid surface for it to keep going.

I would suggest that the clock is new in the picture, so dates it at 1880-90. The table cloth looks very silky  too, as it the photograph was "staged" to show what was won or awarded to the two gentlemen.

Trystan

[PrueM]

Hi all,
Denn, like you I had thought about some kind of bird fanciers, having seen the little cage above the old fellows. 
In my first post I was going to say that I thought by the colour of the print it looked very late 19th cent-1900 in date, but I wanted to see the lot to be sure.  If Trystan's right about the clock then that would confirm my guesstimate!
Prue

[dennford]

Toni,
        Can you also tell us where the gentlemen are?
                                            Denn